


Royalty and the Avatar

by Raziel12



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Azorra, F/F, Very AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:35:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24165247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raziel12/pseuds/Raziel12
Summary: AU. Azula plans to be Fire Lord. Korra is the Avatar. One things leads to another. Chapter 2: Meeting Miss Sato.
Relationships: Azula/Korra/Ty Lee/Asami Sato
Comments: 10
Kudos: 46





	1. Royalty and the Avatar

**Royalty and the Avatar**

Korra gasped and strained against her bonds as the fingers inside her curled just so. The blindfold made it impossible to focus on anything but the sensations, and she could only arch her back and ride the waves of sensation that followed until she slumped back onto the bed, limp and exquisitely exhausted. 

"Hmmm… I certainly can't fault your enthusiasm, but we do have to work on your endurance."

Azula tugged the blindfold off, and Korra stared as the other woman looked her straight in the eyes and licked her fingers clean. Spirits, that was hot.

"Are you really criticising me at a time like this?" Korra asked. She would have sat up, but she was currently tied quite securely to the head of the bed. 

The princess's golden eyes gleamed in the twilight of the cabin, and Azula reached down to trail one finger along Korra's belly. Heat flickered to life, just shy of painful. "Self improvement is important, Korra. Isn't that what your instructors taught you?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm pretty sure they were referring to bending and not sex."

Azula's lips curled, and she leaned forward. It provided Korra with a wonderful view. "You know, when I first started chasing after you, I used to wonder what I'd do with you once I'd caught you." She smirked. "It's a good thing I never caught you back then. Killing you would have been such a waste." The words were accompanied by another heated look at Korra's bare body.

"Yeah, I'm glad to not be dead too." Korra grinned. "But do you think you could go back to describing your megalomaniacal plan? You were in the middle of covering that before you decided to tie me up and have your wicked way with me."

"Ah, yes, my megalomaniacal plan." Azula sat up, and a single candle flared to life. The azure light cast shadows across her face and body, and she looked equal parts alluring and imposing. Korra rolled her eyes. Azula was nothing if not theatrical at times. "Would you prefer it if I monologued, perhaps threw in a cackle or two, or would you prefer the simple version."

"I think the simple version would be best." Korra tested her bonds and sighed. Trust Azula to be ridiculously thorough even in a situation like this. "You can go into detail later."

"Very well." Azula sat down next to Korra and let her fingers trace whimsical paths across her body. "First and foremost, I want to assure you that I have no intention of trying to conquer the world."

"Right…"

"I mean it," Azula said. "I do think I would make an excellent ruler of the world, but conquering the entire world is simply impractical. The Fire Nation has neither the manpower nor the resources to conquer the world, never mind actually keep it under control."

"So, hypothetically, you would conquer the world if you thought you could?"

"You're better off not knowing the answer to that." Azula patted Korra's head fondly. "You'll sleep better at night. But, to return to matter at hand, it's really a simple matter of wanting what's best for the Fire Nation. Above all things, I am a patriot. I love the Fire Nation, and I want nothing but the best for it. This… war has dragged on for a century, and what do we have to show for it?"

"About a century of suffering and woe."

"Exactly." Azula held up one hand. Flame kindled around her fist, first orange, and then blue, and then blinding white. Korra shivered. Azula was the single most powerful fire bender she'd ever met, and it was a miracle she'd survived those early years when Azula had genuinely been trying to either kill her or capture her. "A foolish person might say that the Fire Nation has never been stronger, that we now control the North and South Poles and that we have subjugated most of the Earth Kingdom."

"And what would a smart person, presumably you, say?" Korra asked. Azula had many good qualities. Modesty was not one of them. Then again, was it really arrogance given what she'd accomplished so far?

"We hold the North and South Poles by the skin of our teeth. Oh, we've managed to grab hold of the major settlements, but it's getting harder and harder to fight off the resistance groups when they can melt back into the wilderness." Azula scowled. "Trying to fight off water benders in a land made almost completely of ice is the very definition of a bad idea. Oh, I've no doubt we could crush the Southern or Northern Water Tribes in a conventional battle, but they're not stupid. They're never going to give us a conventional battle."

"Yeah, that probably wasn't the greatest idea the Fire Nation has ever had." Korra snickered. 

"Oh, be quiet," Azula grumbled. "And it's not like your ancestors have too much to be proud of. They somehow managed to lose despite the initial battles being conducted either at sea or on ice." The princess sighed. "The point of conquest, Korra, is that the conquerors should get something out of it. What does the Fire Nation get out of conquering the North or South Pole? We get constant trouble, land that none of our people want to live in, and vast sheets of ice and snow that serve no real purpose."

"Hey, there are resources in the North and South Pole," Korra countered. "How do you think my people have lived there for so long?"

"Well, of course, there are resources," Azula replied. "But they're the kind the Fire Nation could get far more easily through trade. Conquering the North and South Poles served no real purpose other vanity and bragging rights. Meanwhile, we're forced to waste almost a third of our entire military trying to keep them under control."

"Yeah," Korra said. "My people are pretty awesome."

"And then there's the Earth Kingdom." Azula covered her face with one hand. "By all the spirits, what were my ancestors thinking? The Earth Kingdom is absolutely massive and has multiple times the Fire Nation's population. How exactly were we ever going to maintain control over it?"

"Genocide?" Korra made a face. "I'm pretty sure at least one of your ancestors advocated that."

"Yes," Azula ground out. "My grandfather, an otherwise reasonable man, did propose wiping out the Earth Kingdom's inhabitants and replacing them with Fire Nation citizens." She snarled. "Lunacy! Madness! We are warriors not butchers, and I would have the Fire Nation stand ascendant over a prosperous world, not a world of ash and bones."

"Well, I'm glad you can agree that genocide is evil."

"Defeating the Earth Kingdom in battle was a foregone conclusion," Azula continued. "Their lack of tactical acumen is matched only by their lack of technological progress. However, the sheer size and population of the Earth Kingdom means that occupying it long term is an exercise in futility. The Fire Nation simply lacks the manpower and resources to accomplish that." Azula shivered. "And the less I say about our attempts to attack the Air Nomads, the better. Oh, we had some success initially when we caught them off guard, but since then…"

"So… you want to stop the fighting?" Korra asked. "You? The youngest, most successful general in Fire Nation history?"

"If this war continues," Azula replied. "The Fire Nation will eventually lose. It will take years, and we will inflict terrible wounds on our enemies, but we will lose, and do you think they will be in a merciful mood when we do?" Azula shook her head. "No. They will rip us limb from limb. It is far better to seek an end to hostilities now while we are in a position of strength." 

"But you can't end the war," Korra pointed out. "You're not Fire Lord."

"No, I am not." Azula's eyes shimmered, and the blue candle flame roared. "But I could be."

"Ah." Korra nodded slowly. "I see."

"My father truly believes that we can conquer the world and keep it. With Sozin's Comet arriving in a matter of months, he's even come up with a plan. He wants to burn the whole Earth Kingdom and the North and South Poles."

"…" Korra gaped. "That… that might just be the most scarily idiotic thing I've ever heard."

"Yes. Even with the power boost the comet would give us, there simply aren't enough fire benders to burn more than a fraction of the world. That, more than anything, convinced me that I could no longer stand aside while my father leads the Fire Nation to ruin."

"So you want to overthrow him?"

"Korra," Azula said as she shifted to straddle the Avatar's waist. "I have been planning this for years. I have at least half of the Fire Nation's nobility on my side already, and I believe the other half would join me if the Avatar pledged to support my cause."

"I see." Korra's eyes narrowed. "So in exchange for supporting you against your father, you would end the war?"

"Indeed. I would, of course, have to keep some of the gains we've made - nothing too large, I assure you - but the war would end. I would become Fire Lord, and you would become the Avatar who ended the Hundred Year War."

"And you think your father will give you the throne when he realises the nobles support you over him?"

"Oh, no," Azula said dryly. "I'll have to challenge him to Agni Kai and kill him, but that will be the easy part. My dear father hasn't fought on the front lines in more than a decade, and I am the greatest fire bender and warrior my nation has ever produced."

"Not the least bit arrogant, are you?"

"It is not arrogance if it is true," Azula shot back. "The question, Korra, is whether or not you will help me. I will take the throne. Without your help, it may well involve a mountain of corpses. With your help, it will only take one."

"You know, even two years ago, if someone had asked me if I would ever help you, I'd have called them insane."

"And if someone had told me two years ago that I would seriously be contemplating making the Avatar my royal consort once I took the throne, I'd have said the same."

"…" Korra jerked up, tearing her bonds with a subtle application of air bending. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious." Azula smirked. "You look wonderful in blue, Korra, but I think you'd look just as good in red." Her smirk widened. "And I'd be yours as much as you'd be mine." Azula leaned forward until their lips were almost touching. "Tell me I wouldn't look amazing in Water Tribe blue."

Korra gulped. The thought of Azula in Water Tribe blue was… intoxicating. "Yeah." She shook herself. She could think about that later. "So you're really going to do this?"

"Why do you think I'm sailing back to the Fire Nation with you in secret?" Azula bared her teeth. "This war has gone on long enough. I will defeat my father and become Fire Lord. I will put an end to the war, but I'll need your help for what comes after."

"Ah." Korra grimaced. "That will be tricky. Even if you do end the war, the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes are still going to be pissed."

"Indeed, which is where you come in. Use some of that charm of yours to help bring about a peaceful solution."

"You think I'm charming?"

"To an extent," Azula countered. "But more than anything you keep your word. You don't make a lot of promises, but you always keep the ones you do make. More importantly, you have won the respect of people throughout the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. Negotiating a lasting peace will be difficult with your help. Without your help, it will be impossible."

"You do realise that they'll accuse you of seducing me to win my favour."

"Maybe. I'd argue they'd be right." Azula smiled thinly. "But perhaps you could try to make it seem as though the opposite occurred." She swooned melodramatically. "Imagine it: the aloof and cruel Fire Nation princess, defeated and then seduced by the Avatar. Driven by her newfound love for the Avatar, the princess overthrows her father and promises to end the war and bring peace to the world."

"…" Korra shook her head. "I don't think there is a single person in the world who would believe that."

Azula straightened. "Of course not. But that's not the point. What we need to impress upon them is that regardless of the… intricacies of our relationship, peace is the best way forward."

"Well, you're not wrong." Korra sighed. "But you really couldn't have explained this to me before we started sailing toward the Fire Nation?"

"And spoil the surprise?" Azula laughed. "Korra, you know me better than that."


	2. Meeting Miss Sato

**Meeting Miss Sato  
**  
“Good evening, Miss Sato.”

Asami yawned, sat up, and then realised that someone was standing next to her bed. She did the first thing that came to mind: she threw her pillow at their face and tried to kick them in the stomach. What was her security doing? It should be impossible for someone to get all the way to her bedroom without her being notified.

Her opponent ducked under the pillow and twisted away from her kick. Asami rolled out of bed and sprang forward. It was difficult to make out her opponent’s features in the gloom, but she could always knock them unconscious now and ask questions later. Her first punch was parried, and her followup kick hit nothing but air. Whoever they were, they were damn fast, and they knew what they were doing. She upped her speed, feinting high and then driving one fist toward her enemy’s solar plexus followed by a kick aimed at their legs. Her fist was batted aside, and although her kick connected, her opponent barely seemed to notice the blow.

She was about to launch another attack when the shadowy figure gestured. The room was suddenly bathed in blue light as azure flames lit up the scented candles beside her bed. Asami stopped midway through her attack. She might still have been shaking off some of her sleepiness, but she wasn’t stupid. There was only one person in the world with blue fire.

“Your Highness.” Asami stepped back and inclined her head. “I...”

“There is no need for you to apologise.” Princess Azula smiled. “Indeed, I’m pleased you showed such initiative when startled. Had I been any ordinary opponent, you would likely have knocked me unconscious within moments.”

“I... see.” Asami finally had the time to take a better look at her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the light and her adrenaline faded. Presumably, the princess wasn’t here to assassinate her. Setting aside how unlikely it was that the royal would handle such issue herself, she would surely have used her fire by now if she was serious about killing her. Asami was good – she’d trained hard for years to ensure that – but she had no illusions as to how she would fare against the princess in combat. There was a reason soldiers from the Earth Kingdom often surrender the moment the princess took the field.

Belatedly, she realised that the princess wasn’t alone. There was a smiling girl dressed in pink standing by the door while... wait... Asami blinked owlishly... was that the Avatar next to the window? Yes. It had to be. She’d seen the Avatar once, years ago, during a trip with her father before everything had gone wrong. She had an excellent memory, and she rarely forgot a face. There was no mistaking it. The Avatar was standing right there... and she was covering her face with her hands and looking absolutely mortified.

“Azula,” Avatar Korra said. “Why do you have to make everything weird? We could have sent her a note or something. Instead, we snuck into her bedroom, and then you got into a fight with her. What if she’d punched you in the face?”

“Then I would have congratulated her for her skills,” the princess replied. “And she fought quite ably. Had I spent less effort conditioning my legs, that leg kick would likely have hobbled me.”

“Wait... shouldn’t you two be trying to kill each other?” Asami asked. “Because unless I’m mistaken, the Fire Nation and the Avatar are the enemies, right?” She felt a headache coming on. “What’s going on?”

The princess pulled a chair over to sit on and gestured for Asami to sit on the edge of her bed. The blue candle flames flared briefly and then began to burn white. Asami’s eyes widened. She hadn’t known the princess could do that. “The enmity between the Fire Nation and the Avatar is largely a product of the present management of the Fire Nation. If things go the way I want, there will soon be new management. Me.”

Asami stared. “You’re talking about overthrowing your father. That’s treason.”  
“Treason? That’s interesting coming from a woman whose father was involved in a plot to wipe out all benders.”

Asami flinched. Her father’s decision to throw his lot in with the Equalists had very nearly cost them everything. Only the reliance the Fire Nation had on their company had convinced the Fire Lord to spare her, but he’d still made an example of her father. She shivered. There were still nights when she heard him screaming. He’d burned, but he hadn’t burned quickly.

“Don’t talk about my father,” Asami growled.

Azule met her gaze evenly, and a small smile crossed her lips. “And that is one of the reasons I decided to seek you out, Miss Sato. You’re not a coward. You are also your father’s daughter, every bit the genius he was, but a great deal more sensible when it comes to politics.”

“I don’t have a problem with benders in general,” Asami replied. “Only those who abuse their power over others.”

“As well you should. What my father did to yours was monstrous. Treason against the crown is punishable by death, but publicly burning someone to death as slowly as possible is mere savagery. If you’re going to execute someone, just kill them and be done with it.”

“Azula,” Korra said with a long suffering sigh. “I know you’re at least partially psychotic, but could you at least pretend to act sympathetic? We want her to help us.”

“I think Azula is charming,” the woman in pink said.

“Thank you, Ty Lee.” Azula raised one eyebrow at the Avatar. “It’s nice to know that someone appreciates me for something other than mind-blowing sex.”

Asami’s jaw dropped as the Avatar blushed so hard it looked like she might pass out. 

“Can you not do that now?” Korra hissed.

“Wait... what?” Asami was beginning to wonder if she was in the middle of a cactus juice inspired hallucination. “Can someone please explain what’s going on?”

“In simple terms,” Azula began. “The Avatar and I have come to an understanding. That understanding just so happens to involve fantastic sex in addition to a plan to save the world. We want you to get involved.”

“Do you mean with saving the world or with the sex?” Ty Lee asked. “Because we’ll need to get a bigger bed if it’s the latter.”

Azula gave Asami a frankly admiring look, and Asami belatedly realised that she was still in her nightgown. “We’ll have to see, but right now we’re here about the saving the world part.”  
“...” Asami got up, pulled on a robe, and then sat back down on the edge of her bed. “Explain.”

“My father is a fool. Sozin’s comet is coming, and he plans to burn the entire Earth Kingdom to the ground.”

“That is –”  
“The most monumentally stupid thing you’ve ever heard? Yes, it is. There simply aren't enough fire benders or enough time to get anywhere close. Still, his plan is simply a symptom of the disease. My father has lost all sense of perspective. The longer this war drags on, the more ruinous it will be when the Fire Nation eventually loses it. And we will lose it. We can’t fight the entire world and win, no matter what my father and his cronies think. I intend to seize control, so I can bring an end to the conflict - an end that will allow us to keep as many of our gains as possible while negotiating from a position of strength.”

“Do you plan to challenge your father to Agni Kai?”

“Of course. I’d hardly win any support by murdering him in a back alley. I need people to see that I am the better leader. My father has spent much of his life hatching mad schemes from the capital. He is powerful, yes, but his bending has not been honed in the crucible of war like mine has. I have no doubt the battle will require considerable effort on my part, but I will defeat him. The hard part will come after. A Fire Lord cannot rule alone. They need the support of the nobles, the merchants, and many others besides.”

“And that’s where I come in?”

“Indeed, Miss Sato. Despite your father’s follies, your company is one of the most important in the Fire Nation, and you are an exceedingly wealthy woman. You would make a potent ally, and you could look forward to far better treatment under my rule. Naturally, I could arrange for my father to have an unfortunate accident after I have defeated him.”

“An accident?” Asami scoffed. “You’re willing to kill your own father to get me on your side?”

“Make no mistake, Miss Sato. I am a patriot. Everything I do is for the Fire Nation. My father is a fool who has brought us to the verge of ruin. One way or another, he is going to die. I simply cannot leave him alive to rally dissenters. I can, however, allow you to do the deed, so to speak.”

“Azula,” Korra said. “I thought we talked about this. Vengeance doesn’t solve anything.”  
”Is that you or the previous Avatars talking? I seem to recalling you being quite pleased to watch General Zhao drown after he wounded your mother and almost killed your father. The wave that dragged him under wasn’t a normal one either.”

Korra’s eye twitched. “You’re insufferable. You know that, right?”

“I’m insufferable because you know I’m right.” Azula glanced at Ty Lee. “Refresh my memory, Ty Lee. How did Korra react when she drowned General Zhao?”

“She was cackling pretty loudly,” Ty Lee said. “And her Aura was a wonderful blend of pink and red. She said some pretty nasty things to him too.”

“You watched her murder General Zhao?” Asami asked.

“Part of General Zhao’s brilliant plan involved killing the spirit of the moon. I don’t think I need to explain why that would be pure lunacy - pun completely intended. If General Zhao just so happened to pay for his idiocy with his life, well, the world is a far better place for it.” Azula’s lips curled into a smile that was equal parts cruel and amused. “And he was one of my most vocal political opponents. His demise was so convenient.”

Asami rubbed her temple. “So you want me to politically support you after you overthrow and murder your father?”

“Correct.”

“And then you’ll end the war?”

“Correct.”

“And the Avatar, of all people, is helping you with this scheme?”

“Also correct.”

“And you and the Avatar are a thing?”

“Again, correct, and don’t forget Ty Lee.”

“...” Asami took a deep, deep breath. “What sort of support do you already have?”

“I have good support amongst the nobility. Many of them can see the writing on the wall. They know we can’t keep fighting this war, and they'll be glad to have a way out of it that allows us to save face and keep some of our gains. I’ve also managed to cultivate support amongst the military. I am, of course, the Fire Nation’s foremost field commander, and I have countless victories and achievements to my name. As for the merchant class, well, I do have some support there, but that is what you can help me with.”

“Even if I support you, there’s no guarantee that others will follow.”

“Miss Sato, my father executed your father. For you to support me, you must either be insane or be privy to information that suggests my victory is a foregone conclusion and that the best course of action is to join my faction - at least, that’s how it will look to the other merchants. And if there is one thing that most merchants can be relied on to do, it is to look after themselves. I am not my father, but they don’t know that. Fear will pull them into line long enough for me to demonstrate that I am the leader they have been waiting for.”

“You’re not very modest, are you?” Asami drawled.

“No, I am not. But why should I be? I’m not a monk. I am a princess, and my pride is well founded. Merely look at what I’ve already accomplished in my life.” Azula leaned forward. “Now, we can discuss the details further, but before we do, I need to know. Are you with us?”

“And if I’m not?”

“Ty Lee here is probably the most adept chi-blocker in the world. There are ways to cause short-term memory loss. You would wake up tomorrow with a headache thinking you must have worked too late again.”

“You wouldn’t kill me?” Asami asked incredulously.

“Of course not. I abhor waste, and killing you would be such a waste. You are intelligent and driven, and you are living proof of the meritocracy that I wish to implement.”

“A meritocracy?”

“Why not? Why should someone’s birth alone determine their ability to rise in society? I have known countless nobles who have done nothing at all with their wealth and power. They survive solely due to the deeds of their ancestors. They are, in every way, the lesser children of greater sires. I have also seen incompetent nobles lead thousands of men to their deaths because they were given command due to their name instead of their competence.”

“This sounds odd coming from a princess.”

“Perhaps it does. It is true that the title of Fire Lord passes through my family, yet I believe it should only go to the worthiest members of my family, the ones who have proven they have the ability to rule well. I have that ability, and when the day finally comes when I must hand over the title to a successor, I will ensure that whoever I give it to is worthy of it.” Azula smiled. “The Fire Nation is the greatest country in the world. I believe that with every fibre of my being. Yet to reach even greater heights, we must be willing to adapt and change. It will take time to implement the reforms I want, but I dream of a Fire Nation where the nobility must earn their privileges and where those of sufficient ability and talent might rise to become nobles themselves.”

“An interesting dream,” Asami murmured. She weighed her options. The princess would never have approached her if she wasn’t already confident of her chances. And if the princess did succeed, it would be far better to be on her side than against her. “Very well. I’ll join you.”

The princess extended one hand. “You won’t regret this, Miss Sato.”

“I should hope not, Your Highness,” Asami replied as they shook hands.

Ty Lee smiled at Korra. “See? I told you they’d get along.”

Korra sighed. “I still think we could have handled this without sneaking into her bedroom.” She paused. “And now we’re going to have to sneak out as well, right?”

“Naturally.” Azula stood. “Miss Sato. We will contact you when I am ready to make my move. Be ready. And do get better security. Your current bunch are awful.”

“I just wish Mai could be here,” Ty Lee said. “She loves sneaking around.”

“I would like to have Mai here as well, Ty Lee, but someone has to keep my brother from getting himself killed. I’ve already sent her a message telling her to meet us in the capital in a week. That should give her enough time to convince Zuzu not to do anything foolish.” Azula nodded at Asami and walked toward the window. “Until we meet again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I do not own Legend of Korra or Avatar: The Last Airbender. I am not making any money off of this either.
> 
> Azula’s scheming continues. As you can see, the timeline here is a mishmash of The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra. We’re getting closer to the pointy end now too. It won’t be long before Azula is ready to make her move. Will her schemes go as smoothly as she hopes, or will she find herself fighting a far bloodier battle than she’d like. Oh well, if she has to step over a few corpses to claim the throne, she’ll do that.
> 
> I also write original fiction on Amazon under the name L. G. Estrella. In fact, I’ve just released a new story, Attempted Adventuring. If you like humour, action, and adventure, be sure to check it out. I’ve also just released two audiobooks on Audible. They’re called Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Army of Golems and Two Necromancers, a Dragon, and a Vampire. If you like humour, action, and adventure, you’ll love them.
> 
> As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.\

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I do not own Legend of Korra or Avatar: The Last Airbender. I am not making any money off of this either.
> 
> This is obviously a massive AU. I'll get into the specifics in later snippets, but the gist of it is that Aang never ran away, the Air Nomads managed to survive after initially sustaining heavy losses, and the Hundred Year War has been extremely bloody. 
> 
> By the time Azula shows up, Korra is the Avatar. They're similar in age, and Azula does spend some of her early years trying to capture/kill Korra. However, due to certain events, things change, and Azula develops a better understanding of the conflict and its likely ending. 
> 
> As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


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